Five Cedar Rapids Schools Set to Close Under Redistricting Plan

The Cedar Rapids school board has approved a plan that will close five schools, start up intermediate schools, and redraw district boundaries starting in 2027.

Cedar Rapids School Board Approves Plan

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Cedar Rapids School Board voted 6-1 in favor of a plan that will close five elementary schools and create intermediate schools. A second resolution that draws new attendance boundaries within the district was approved unanimously.

Which Cedar Rapids Schools Will Close?

The Gazette reports that under the approved plan, these Cedar Rapids elementary schools will close.

• Wright Elementary
• Cedar River Academy
• Cleveland Elementary
• Grant Elementary
• Nixon Elementary

The Gazette reports that by closing the schools, the district will save approximately $5 million annually. Declining enrollment has the district scrambling to adjust its budget and adjust to reduced state aid. Enrollment in Cedar Rapids schools is down by over 3,000 students over the past decade.

Cedar Rapids Schools Announces New Boundaries

The new plan also sets new attendance boundaries within the school district. The Gazette reports that these are the three new attendance areas.

• Area 1 will feed into Washington High School. Elementary schools will be Erskine, Grant Wood, Trailside, Johnson, and Wilson, which will be converted from a middle school to an elementary. Franklin will be converted to the intermediate school, and McKinley will be the middle school.
• Area 2 will feed Jefferson High School. Elementary schools will be West Willow, Hoover, Van Buren, and Harrison. Roosevelt will be converted to an intermediate school, and Taft will be the middle school.
• Area 3 will feed Kennedy High School. Elementary schools will be Hiawatha, Maple Grove, Pierce, and Kenwood. Viola Gibson will be converted to an intermediate school, and Harding will be the middle school.

The new plans for the district could affect students starting in the fall of 2027.